Has your job been affected?

Americans’ jobs are vanishing at the fastest rate in more than five years and the pace is expected to increase in the coming months. The nation's unemployment rate now stands at 6.1 percent, up sharply from 4.7 percent a year ago, meaning the number of unemployed people has risen by 2.2 million to 9.5 million.

Behind those stark numbers are stories of personal anguish, financial hardship and ruin. But there also are tales of resolve, adaptability and the opening of new career frontiers.

To get those stories, msnbc.com would like to hear from you, our readers, about your job situation.

Have you been laid off, taken a buyout or had your hours reduced? Are you hanging on by a thread? Have you undergone a career change as a result of the changing economy? Or are you in a stable industry that gives you confidence you’ll weather the current economic storm?

Please take the time to fill out the form below telling us about your job status. And please include a photo so that we can share your story with other readers as part of our upcoming Gut Check America coverage of the worsening employment situation.

Has your work situation changed as a result of the economic downturn? If so, how? (3000 character limit) Please, no HTML tags. If you're out of work, how are you surviving? How do you see your prospects for getting a new one? Will you have to change fields? If you're employed, are economic factors changing the nature of your work or putting additional pressures on you? Add your video and/or picture Images must be .gif, .jpg/jpeg or .png formats. Videos must be in .avi, .mov, .mpg/.mpeg, .wmv, .asf, or 3gp formats. Combined file size limit: 40mb File location Picture or Video caption:* File location Picture or Video caption:* File location Picture or Video caption:* File location Picture or Video caption:* File location Picture or Video caption:* + ADD ANOTHER FILE All about you... We need some information about you to complete your submission. Your name and hometown may be displayed with your content. Asterisks indicate required fields. 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